Bread & Butter: Ultra-marathoners to open bakery-cafe in San Anselmo

Their mission is "nourishing the community through honest food," but we'll have to wait until next year to see what that looks like when M.H. Bread and Butter — and we love the name! — opens in San Anselmo.

According to Tablehopper, co-owners, ultra-marathoners and newlyweds Nathan Yanko, a former baker at San Francisco's Tartine, and personal chef and gluten-free baker Devon Crosby-Helms, raised more than $30,000 through Kickstarter and are planning to open a bakery and cafe in the spot that once housed Debbie Does Desserts focusing on fresh, organic, local, real food — what else?

According to its Facebook page, M.H. Bread and Butter will sell "crafted breads made in small batches, preserves and fermented goods, salads, sandwiches, breakfast items and pastries, as well as wood-fired pizzas three days a week."

Coffee, craft beers and wine will also be served.

The bakery/cafe will be at 556 San Anselmo Ave. in San Anselmo. Check out http://mhbreadand butter.com to keep tabs on its opening.

Pumpkin carving

Yankee Pier's annual pumpkin-carving contest for kids is from Oct. 25 to Oct. 31 with prizes including bookstore gift cards and toys. Children simply carve their pumpkin and take a photo with it; they may also choose to leave the carved pumpkin at Yankee Pier or take it home to enjoy. Winners will be announced on Yankee Pier's Facebook page Oct. 31.

While there, parents and kids might want to have a bite crafted from the restaurant's new chef, Henry Moreno, who has been promoted from sous chef. The Petaluma resident has worked at Nick's Cove and Cottages in Marshall, Healdsburg's Dry Creek Kitchen and San Francisco's Market Bar.

Yankee Pier is at 286 Magnolia Ave. in Larkspur. Call 924-7676 or go to www.yankeepier.com.

Halloween party

Mill Valley's Bungalow 44 will be the site for a costumed dance bash, "Ghastly Hollywood Halloween," featuring executive chef Robert Price's inventive cuisine, crafty cocktails as well as a DJ for spirited music. The fun starts when you arrive in costume, and the music starts at 10 p.m. Bungalow 44 is at 44 E. Blithedale Ave. in Mill Valley. Call 381-2500 or go to www.bungalow44.com.

Halloween will be over but the next day is the "Day of the Dead" festivities south of the border, and at Sausalito's Copita.

A special menu created by maestra de cocina and co-owner Joanne Weir and sous chef and head gardener, Dilsa Lugo will be available all day Nov. 1. Some tempting items include ponche cocktail, cinnamon, hibiscus, tamarind, apple, raisins, prunes, pineapple, guava and anejo tequila ($9), spit-roasted turkey and San Juan mole rojo tacos, ($12), and tamales with frijoles and queso Oaxaca steamed in banana leaves ($9).

Copita will also feature a traditional altar honoring the staff's departed loved ones.

Head to San Francisco for a special Halloween Happy Hour at Nicasio resident Michael Mina's RN74.

Eerie-themed cocktails, sweet treats and entertainment, including a tarot card reader and fortune teller, will from 4 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31. There is no cover change, and those who show up in costume will receive one free drink ticket for a special Halloween cocktail and will be eligible to win a gift certificate for two at RN74. RN74 is at 301 Mission St. in San Francisco. Call 543-7474 or go to www.michael mina.net.

The Michael Mina Group is also expanding into casual Indian dining with the Company Bar & Kitchen, which is set to open next summer near San Francisco's Embarcadero, according to the San Francisco Business Times. Stay tuned.